NBA memo issued to all teams details integrity concerns amid gambling scandal

The NBA has issued an urgent memo to all 30 teams stressing that “more can be done” to protect the integrity of the game, following the gambling scandal that has rocked the league. 

Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier, Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups, and dozens of others were arrested by the FBI over the elaborate scam described as a criminal gambling operation that used inside information to place illegal bets.

The full impact and outcome of the recent developments are yet to unravel, but this is a situation that has rocked the NBA to its core.

Speaking on Amazon Prime Video’s debut NBA broadcast, Commissioner Adam Silver said that he was “deeply disturbed”, adding that, “there’s nothing more important to the league and its fans than the integrity of the competition. And so I had a pit in my stomach. It was very upsetting.”

Now, the NBA has informed all of its teams that a wide-ranging probe is underway, with a review of many rules to take place, with increased scrutiny on prop bets in particular.

The memo, issued by the NBA’s general counsel Rick Buchanan and the EVP of league policy Dan Spillane, was detailed by ESPN’s Shams Charania. 

NBA memo to its teams: "While the unusual betting on Terry Rozier's "unders" in the March 2023 game was detected in real time because the bets were placed legally, we believe there is more that can be done from a legal/regulatory perspective to protect the integrity of the NBA… https://t.co/tagjQsd7Vr

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) October 27, 2025

Dire risks that gambling can impose upon NBA careers and livelihoods

The full memo underlines the gravity of the crisis and the urgency felt at the heart of the NBA to find solutions to betting questions. 

It seems apparent that further regulation is required, as well as steps to protect athletes and coaches from the threat of outside influence. 

“Given the spread of legal betting to the majority of U.S. states, the recurrence of integrity issues across sports, and the emergence of novel betting formats and markets, this is an opportune time to carefully reassess how sports betting should be regulated and how sports leagues can best protect themselves, their players, and their fans, read the memo. 

“While the unusual betting on Terry Rozier’s ‘unders’ in the March 2023 game was detected in real time because the bets were placed legally, we believe there is more that can be done from a legal/regulatory perspective to protect the integrity of the NBA and our affiliated leagues. In particular, proposition bets on individual player performance involve heightened integrity concerns and require additional scrutiny.

It continued, “We have also begun a process of reviewing league policies regarding injury reporting, the training and education of all NBA personnel, and safety measures for NBA players.

“With sports betting now occupying such a significant part of the current sports landscape, every effort must be made to ensure that players, coaches, and other NBA personnel are fully aware of the dire risks that gambling can impose upon their careers and livelihoods; that our injury disclosure rules are appropriate; and that players are protected from harassment from bettors.”

The official memo added that AI would be fully utilized as part of a review of internal and external integrity monitoring programs, with other resources used to identify problematic betting activity. The league also invited feedback and further dialogue on the overall review process.

Featured image: Keith Allison from Hanover, MD, USA / CC BY-SA 2.0

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